We carried out a review of the data available to us about Lawn Court on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Lawn Court, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
People were supported to access the community safely. The registered manager had a supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for people to use outside the building. Signs around the home directed people to PPE stores in the office. There were small bottles of disinfectant hand gel by the front door and people were encouraged to take these with them when they went out. Staff followed a cleaning schedule three times a day for frequently touched surfaces of the home.
The provider had created documents with advice on government guidelines for people to use when out and about. The registered manager had reproduced these into pocket sized cards that people could take with them, if they chose to do so.
People living at the home were offered monthly COVID-19 tests. The registered manager considered when testing happened at the home and tried to make this as flexible as possible for people. This included considering where changes to people’s medicines may affect their decision to accept testing as well as the feelings of people on the day.
Staff had worked hard to support people’s wellbeing during the pandemic by providing in-house activities. Staff had continued to focus on helping people reach their goals. People told us that despite the pandemic, staff had supported them to grow in confidence and continue to gain skills. This had enabled them to move on to somewhere with less support if they wished.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
Lawn Court provides accommodation and support for up to 18 adults living with mental health needs, some of whom were also living with substance abuse difficulties, autistic spectrum disorder and other needs. Accommodation is provided over three floors in a large adapted building located in a residential area, close to the centre of Bexhill-On-Sea. At the time of the inspection there were 17 people living at the home, 12 people were receiving regulated services. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care, this is help with tasks related to personal hygiene, medicines and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to 18 people. 17 people were using the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people. People were supported to have maximum choice, control and independence.
People’s experience of using this service:
People received high-quality person-centred care. The management and staff team went above and beyond to ensure that people’s care and preferences met their expectations, with people’s wellbeing and independence being at the heart of the service. Activities for people were innovative and highly regarded by people and relatives. The service went the extra mile to ensure that people were involved in their community and empowered in the planning of activities to reduce social isolation and improve well-being. A relative told us, “The care is really good, and staff will do anything, we are really pleased. [Relative] is happy, likes living there and is always positive.”
Staff knew people extremely well and tailored their support accordingly. We observed strong relationships between staff and people due to the continuity of staffing and their approach. People told us they felt safe and knew who to contact if they had any concerns. Systems supported people to stay safe and reduce the risks to them. Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse and what action to take to keep people safe. There was enough staff to support people safely and the registered manager had safe recruitment procedures and processes in place.
Staff were trained in administering medicines. People knew what their medication was for and told us they felt reassured by the support with their medicines. People were protected by the prevention and control of infection. Staff wore gloves and aprons when supporting people.
People were supported to maintain their health and had support to access health care services when they needed to. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People received kind and compassionate care. People and relatives told us staff treated them with kindness and we observed friendly interactions throughout the inspection. People told us, “It’s a nice place to live and there is a good atmosphere.”
The home was well-led, and the provider had quality assurance systems in place to monitor the standard of care and drive improvement. People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the culture of the home and said it was well managed.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection: Good (report published on 24 February 2017).
Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection that was scheduled to take place in line with Care Quality Commission (CQC) scheduling guidelines for adult social care.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about this service and plan to inspect in line with our re-inspection schedule for those services rated Good.
Lawn Court is situated in a row of town houses which had been recently converted and upgraded. It is close to the centre of Bexhill on Sea.
Lawn Court had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The provider is Together Working for Wellbeing, who provide a range of similar services nationally.
This was Lawn Court’s first inspection. Before this, the provider had run a service from a different building, which was close by. The provider had undertaken extensive building works to ensure Lawn Court provided a suitable environment for people. Some of the people and most of the staff moved from the old building to Lawn Court when it was newly registered.
The ethos of the home was to support people in becoming as independent at they wished to be. People said this was happening for them in the way they wanted. People’s privacy was respected in their daily lives. Where people needed personal care, this was provided in a dignified and respectful way. Staff showed empathy towards people when planning with them how they wanted to live their lives.
People were supported in their day to day lives at Lawn Court and if they wished, with external training programmes, working, volunteering and being part of the local community. People’s contact with their families and friendship groups was supported. People were fully involved in drawing up and developing their own care plans. They also knew how to raise issues of concern to themselves and were confident action would be taken if they raised issues.
People received effective support because of the wide ranging training programme for staff. These included mandatory areas like health and safety. They also included areas relating to people’s individual needs, for example supporting people who are living with substance abuse issues and people who are living with Autism. Staff received full support and supervision for their roles. Staff supervision was flexible for them, depending on their individual needs.
All staff were aware of people’s vulnerability and risk of abuse. Staff promptly took action to ensure people’s safety, if they identified they were at risk of abuse. People had risk assessments, which they were involved with drawing up, to ensure their safety, and also to support them in making decisions about how they wanted to live their life.
There were safe systems to support all of the people at Lawn Court in taking their medicines. People were supported in becoming independent with taking their own medicines. People were also supported in becoming independent with managing their own diets. People commented positively about the food and drinks provided. Staff were keen to support people in the principals of healthy eating. Where people had additional health and treatment needs, they were supported in being as independent as possible. If people’s health changed, staff ensured prompt support was requested.
Some people were subject to requirements under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA). Where this was the case, they had clear records about any restrictions placed on them. Staff supported people in ensuring they understood their rights and responsibilities under any such restrictions.
Staff spoke positively about the culture at Lawn Court. They said the registered manager was open to ideas and suggestions and they could always raise issues if they needed to. The provider regularly audited the quality of the service. Where issues were identified, for example about the new building, actions plans were developed to outline when areas would be addressed.